Conventionally known is an image photographic apparatus or digital camera having a structure configured to transfer an image of a subject to a printer connected to a local area network and print out the image by the printer (for reference, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open 2004-159281).
There is also known a digital camera corresponding to a PTPIP protocol. The digital camera corresponding to the PTPIP protocol is, when receiving a request for communication start from a personal computer as a client, configured to establish a communication in response to the request and perform the transfer of the image of the subject automatically.
Meanwhile, assuming that a communication between a digital camera 2 as a server and a personal computer 3 as a client is performed under the local area network 1, as shown FIG. 1, a large number of personal computers 3 and a large number of digital cameras 2 exist in the local area network 1.
Under the circumstances, when a request for communication start is transmitted from one personal computer 3 to one or more digital cameras 2, if any security measures are not provided, there is a problem that an image(s) of a subject in each of the digital cameras can be acquired from any personal computer.